Shields
by Natster64
Summary: The team comes across a young woman on a new planet with special gifts, but a dark past. This is Cassie's story of meeting the team, finding a family, and falling in love. Rating may change later on. Ronon/OC
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone, this is my first ever fanfic so please be gentle. I would love some reviews as I have absolutely no idea if I'm even off to a decent start.

Also, unfortunately I own nothing, wish I did though.

Cheers

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Sheppard, Ronan, Teyla and Rodney were trudging through the forest of the latest world they had been sent to visit. They were doing their usual recon mission, find out whether there were any people or villages who might be interested in setting up a trade agreement with. So far though, they had found no life signs on the planet. Still, the team had decided that it was worth a look around as Rodney had discovered some anomalies in his readings from his equipment and wanted to take a closer look.

Ronon stopped suddenly and held up a hand for silence, and the others immediately dropped to the ground. Ronon crept forward up the embankment ahead of them and looked over the edge towards the clearing that was in the distance. He froze as he saw a number of Wraith striding around. He sat watching them for a moment before slowly climbing back down to the team.

"There's at least 6 Wraith up ahead, but there's more around, I can feel it" Ronon murmured. "We can take them..." he started to say, but was interrupted by Sheppard.

"No, let's not get into a showdown when we have no idea how many of them we're up against. We'll circle around and try to head back to the gate. We'll see what our chances are of getting through without having to cut a path all the way back there starting with this lot."

Teyla nodded her agreement, "I think that is a wise decision. There is no need for us to take a greater risk than is necessary just yet."

Sheppard turned to lead them back down the path, signalling for them to stay silent at the same time. Suddenly there was a quickly indrawn breath behind him, followed by a deafening sneeze that seemed to echo in the silence that followed. He spun around to see Rodney slap a hand over his mouth looking horrified.

"Oh God I didn't mean to do that! It just came out!" Rodney looked quickly to Ronon who was already spinning back to the Wraith behind them and unsheathing his gun from his hip.

"Well I would say that leaving this place quietly is now out of the question. I suggest we prepare ourselves for a fight," said Teyla, raising her weapon as the Wraith came running down the track towards them.

The team took up positions behind the trees to provide themselves with some cover. Ronon was at the forefront with Teyla taking down as many Wraith as possible, however it soon became apparent that the Wraith had realised a head on attack was not in their best interest and were fanning out ahead of them to cover more ground.

Sheppard rolled out of the way of an oncoming blast and returned fire over the fallen log he was shielded behind. "We can't hold them off like this forever and we still have no idea how many of them there are!"

"We need to get out of here! Which way?" Rodney yelled back as a blast slammed into the ground a few feet to his left, sending dirt flying into the air.

Ronon and Teyla were being pushed back down the track towards Rodney and Sheppard, losing ground and allowing the Wraith to advance further.

"There's too many of them to make a run for it," yelled Sheppard. "We're just going to have to try and blast a way through, the gate is behind them."

"What are you crazy?" yelled Rodney. "You want us to just try blasting a path through?"

"You got a better idea McKay?" challenged Sheppard, returning fire and taking down another Wraith as it appeared from behind a tree a few feet ahead.

The Wraith numbers increased as more of them heard the sounds of battle, closing in the ranks ahead. A line of Wraith emerged in front of McKay and Sheppard. "Fall back!" Sheppard yelled to McKay.

Suddenly there was a rippling pulse of energy several feet wide that swept past Sheppard and McKay and slammed into the oncoming Wraith. They were lifted off their feet and hurled backwards. A similar pulse swept over the heads of Teyla and Ronon, colliding with the several Wraith pinning them down with their weapons fire, slamming them into the tree trunks with a sickening crack.

The team looked behind them to find a young woman standing in the middle of the path, her arms stretched out in front of her and her hands held up in 'stop' motion. "Follow me," she called, before a ripple seemed to go through her and another pulse was blasted from her outstretched palms, smashing into the Wraith again.

She whirled around and started to run down the track, throwing a quick look over her shoulder to ensure that the team from Atlantis was following. Sheppard shared a quick look with Ronon before leaping to his feet and taking off after the young woman, the rest of the team on his heels.

A couple of turns later the woman slowed to a walk and led them off the path and into the surrounding forest, motioning for them to be quiet. She cocked her head and listened, her eyes closed for a brief moment before opening them and finally turning her attention to the four people standing in front of her.

"That was quite close there for a moment, I almost thought we weren't going to make it," she said.

"Well I'm not sure we would have if it weren't for your help," replied Sheppard. "Who are you and how did you do that?"

"My name is Cassandra, but you can call me Cassie. I come from an ancient line of people known as the Morokai. My ancestors were the guardians of my people because we had certain abilities, like you just saw. Some call us witches, but we've never meant innocent people any harm, we only protect them."

Teyla stepped forward, "I have heard of the Morokai, but I believed they were wiped out many years ago by the Wraith in a culling of their planet."

"That's right, I'm the last of my people," Cassie replied, a look of sadness passing over her features.

"I am sorry for your loss," replied Teyla. She paused for a moment before said, "My name is Teyla Emmagan, this is Dr Rodney McKay, Lt. Col. John Sheppard, and Ronon Dex. Thank you very much for your assistance in our fight back there."

"Yes, yes, thanks for the help but I believe we have bigger problems here," interrupted Rodney, "Does anyone know how we're going to get back to the Stargate?"

Cassie frowned for a moment, "The what?"

"The ring built by the Ancients that allows travel between planets," explained Teyla.

Cassie frown disappeared and she nodded, "Oh right, my people called it the Traveller's Ring. Follow me."

Cassie turned and started walking deeper into the forest, Sheppard falling into step beside her. "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

"Not at all," she replied, "so long as I can ask you some in return?"

Sheppard nodded. "What are you doing on this planet?"

"I travel from world to world, helping people where I can, killing Wraith when I can. After my own world was destroyed by the Wraith, I didn't see reason to stay there any longer on my own. My family has always protected the innocent, and I made a promise to myself that I'd continue that calling, even if I couldn't protect my own people. I travelled to this planet to see what was here, see if I could offer any help. I just try to keep moving." Cassie spoke quietly as she walked.

"And so what will you do now that there's no-one here?" asked Sheppard.

"Move onto the next planet I guess. There's too many Wraith here for me to take on, even with the help of you and your team. I try to do what I can, but there's only so much a person can do on their own." There was a moment of silence as Sheppard thought about this.

"I think it's my turn to ask some questions now, right?" Cassie asked with a smile. Sheppard looked up and nodded, smiling in return.

"Can I ask where you and your people come from?"

"We're from a city called Atlantis. It's an abandoned city built by the Ancients that we rediscovered a few years ago. We do a lot of the same work that you do, travel from planet to planet, looking for chances to trade and learn more about the planets and their people. We also offer medical help, military training, relocation and protection for those fighting the Wraith. And of course, we fight the Wraith wherever possible."

Cassie looked over at him, "And that's what you're doing here? Looking for trading opportunities?"

"Exactly," he replied.

Cassie nodded before slowing to a halt and turning to face the rest of the team. "Just behind these trees is the Traveller's Ring. We'll need to be quiet from here. I'll scout ahead and see how many Wraith are guarding the Ring."

Ronon stepped forward and looked her square in the eye, "I'll go with you." From the look he was giving her and set of his shoulders, it was clear that he had no intention of being left behind and so Cassie nodded and stepped aside for him to lead the way.

They crept between the trees and crouched behind a group of rocks to view the Wraith ahead. It appeared that only 3 Wraith were in the immediate area and so they quietly crept back to the others.

"Only 3 that we could see," muttered Ronon to the rest of the team.

Sheppard nodded, "Ok, Ronon, Teyla and I can take out the Wraith. McKay you get to the controls and dial the DHD."

"What of Cassie?" asked Teyla.

"I'll cover Dr McKay while he dials the Ring. Then you'll all be able to get through quickly before anymore Wraith show up."

John hesitated for a moment and looked across to Ronon. An unspoken conversation seemed to pass between them before Ronon shrugged and Sheppard turned back to Cassie. "Come with us, back to Atlantis."

Cassie looked shocked for a moment, "What?"

"You said it yourself that there's only so much that one person can do on their own. We have a huge amount of resources at our disposal and someone with your particular skills could be a great asset to our fight against the Wraith. You could do a lot more with our help than you could alone."

Cassie hesitated, "Look, I appreciate the offer but..."

Teyla spoke up, "Perhaps it would be preferable for you to visit Atlantis and see some of the work that we do. You could make up your mind once you have had a chance to look around? You would be a most welcome addition to Atlantis."

Rodney looked scandalised, "What are you kidding me? You just want to bring some random stranger back to Atlantis? Elizabeth is going to have you court marshalled!"

"Ah save it Rodney, we can't leave her here. There's Wraith everywhere and she has nowhere else to go. Plus you saw what she can do, I'd have thought you wouldn't be able to wait to question her!" Sheppard gave Rodney a pointed look. Rodney opened his mouth to argue but paused when he realised Sheppard was actually spot on. He snapped his mouth shut and gave a nod.

"All right then. So what do you say?" Sheppard asked Cassie.

She looked up at the team, before locking eyes with Ronon. He looked her straight in the eye and she slowly nodded her consent.

"Well alright then. Let's get a move on, I don't want more of those Wraith showing up before we have a chance to dial the gate," said Sheppard.

Everyone moved forward, Ronon and Sheppard in the lead, Teyla close behind them, followed by Cassie and Rodney.

The three Wraith were dispatched with deadly accuracy and speed, failing to fire off even a single blast. Rodney quickly dialled the gate and ran up the steps and marched straight through, Teyla right behind him. Cassie followed Ronon as Sheppard stepped through ahead of them, but hesitated before walking through herself.

Ronon looked at her, "It'll be ok."

And with those three words, she stepped through the gate by his side.

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Please review everyone! Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

The gate room of Atlantis was huge, surrounded by armed marines who all had their attention and weapons focused directly on the people coming through the Stargate. The moment Cassie stepped through the gate into Atlantis and saw the armed marines she immediately tensed and drew her hands up in front of her in defence, as she had done back in the forest when confronted by the Wraith. Her adrenaline spiked at the threat the marines and their weapons posed and she felt her power ripple through her body.

Ronon stepped up beside her and murmured to her in a low rumble, "Easy." Sensing a confrontation, Sheppard motioned for the marines to stand down with a wave of his hand and the weapons were lowered. Cassie let out a low breath and let her hands drop. A woman with short dark hair stepped forward.

"Good to have you back John." She turned to Cassie with a smile and said, "And it appears we have a visitor. My name is Elizabeth Weir, I'm in command here. Welcome to Atlantis."

"Thank you. My name is Cassandra, but please call me Cassie," she replied with a growing smile. Elizabeth projected a warm and friendly nature that reminded Cassie of Teyla. Both women radiated a sense of gentleness and sincerity, but with a subtle strength telling of a warrior that lay within.

John stepped forward, "Cassie saved us from a tight spot back there and we invited her to join us. I'll fill you in on all the details during the debrief later on. In the meantime, I was hoping she could stay here for a while?" He hesitated for a moment, "With your permission of course."

Elizabeth gave John a brief raised eyebrow at his lack of protocol, however she was well and truly used to John's unconventional approach to the rules on Atlantis, having broken quite a few herself. She nodded and smiled, "Of course. Teyla, would you show Cassie to one of the empty quarters please?"

"It would be my pleasure," replied Teyla.

During the brief conversation Cassie had been subtly taking in her surroundings, noting the various levels, people and exits. It was an old habit but one that had saved her many times before. She knew that being well aware of her surroundings was an extremely effective tool for survival. While she took note of the position of everyone in the room with an almost clinical efficiency, there was one person of whom she was acutely aware. Ronon stood behind her a few feet, but she could almost feel his energy field edging against her own.

Rodney, who had been unusually quiet, spoke up at this point. "Cassie, I was wondering whether I could talk to you? I have some questions for you about your, um, powers."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at this, "Powers?" She looked questioningly at Rodney.

Cassie looked down at the mention of her abilities. She felt everyone's eyes on her, and immediately started to grow nervous under the scrutiny. Luckily, John spoke up before she had to explain.

"Later Rodney. I'll fill you in on that during the debrief as well," he said to Elizabeth and she nodded.

"Alright then. In that case, John, you and the team head down to the infirmary for your checks and then meet me in the conference room. Teyla why don't you show Cassie to her room and then join the team in the infirmary?"

Without further delay, everyone broke off and Teyla motioned for Cassie to follow her. As Teyla led her through a maze of corridors and transporters, she gave Cassie a running commentary on the various areas of Atlantis and the different departments that were located there. Cassie paid close attention, taking in as much information as she could, whilst memorizing the route they were taking, another survival instinct that had been honed over the years.

After what seemed like an infinite number of corridors they finally reached the quarters where Cassie would be staying. Teyla swiped her hand over the panel to the right of the door and it swished open, revealing a sparsely decorated room.

"I hope this will be adequate for your use here on Atlantis. However if you need anything else at all then please let me know," said Teyla.

"Thanks. This looks fine, I'm not used to having my own room so this will make a nice change from sleeping in the forest!" Cassie grinned at Teyla.

Teyla laughed softly, "Well in that case I am sure you will find it most comfortable. I will need to leave you now for a short while to attend the debriefing with the rest of the team. However I am certain that Dr Weir will wish to speak with you herself so I will return in a little while to take you to her. In the meantime, please feel free to look around. If you get lost at all then any of the people around will be able to help you. Atlantis is a small city despite what it may appear and no doubt word of your arrival has already travelled."

Cassie nodded, "Thanks again. I'll make sure I'm here for when you return."

With a final farewell, Teyla left Cassie to look around her new room. There was a large bed on the far side of the room already made up with fresh sheets, and a small chest beside it with a lamp sitting on top. A larger chest of drawers was located on the wall to the right of the door and a mirror was mounted on the wall above it. A small writing desk and a chair was to the left of the door and beyond that a small bathroom. Cassie wandered around, looking in drawers and opening cupboards. She discovered that someone had already stocked the essentials that she might need, toiletries and fresh sheets in the cupboards, and some writing materials in the desk.

Cassie walked back into the bedroom and sat down at the foot of the bed, resting her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. Things were changing so quickly that she felt like a boat cast adrift. For years now she had travelled from world to world, people to people, danger to danger, but she had always been her own master. She chose where she went and what she did, it was one of her most prized possessions, her freedom, her independence. Being a part of Atlantis though, there were rules, and teams and protocols that needed to be adhered to, a chain of command to follow. Perhaps she had been too quick to take the offer to return with Colonel Sheppard and his team to Atlantis.

She wasn't sure how long she sat there like that, but it seemed like only moments before Teyla was standing in front of her once more.

"Is everything alright Cassie?" asked Teyla.

Cassie nodded and stood up. "Yes, it's just that everything has happened so fast. I'll be fine though."

Teyla hesitated, "If you are sure?"

At Cassie's nod of assurance she continued with a smile, "Very well, in that case Dr Weir wishes to speak with you. Would you come with me?"

Teyla led Cassie through yet another maze of corridors, before finally entering into a large room with Colonel Sheppard, his team and Dr Weir seated around a table.

Elizabeth stood up, "Cassie, thank you for joining us. Please take a seat."

Cassie and Teyla both sat down at the far end of the table. Elizabeth was directly opposite Cassie, with Teyla to her left and Ronon on her right.

Elizabeth sat back down. "Colonel Sheppard and his team have already filled me in on what happened back on the planet and what you told them about yourself and your people. I have to say though, that after hearing the story of your abilities, or 'powers', I'm as intrigued as Dr McKay is. Could you explain them to us?"

Cassie shifted in her seat, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the attention and line of questioning. However she reasoned to herself that they were not only curious but cautious of the safety of their people and any threat she might pose to them.

"My abilities," she stumbled over the word for a moment, "are something that I've had since I was a child. All the women in my family are born with certain gifts, some are able to foresee the future, others can move things with their minds. I have the ability to project energy. I can send out pulses of energy as I did against the Wraith back on the planet, or I can create shields to keep something out, or keep something contained. I'm also able to connect with someone's mind if they have the ability to do it as well."

There was a moment of silence as everyone processed what she was saying. Except for Rodney. He was typing away madly on his tablet, before he stopped and looked up at Cassie with wide eyes. "The shields, can you do them any time? How big can you make them? How long can you hold them for? Does it have any sort of physical effect on you?" He fired off questions one after the other without waiting for an answer to any of them, seemingly thinking of more and more exciting possibilities with each one.

"McKay!" Sheppard growled in warning, effectively cutting Rodney off before he gathered too much steam in his questioning.

Cassie hesitated a moment before answering, "I, uh, I can make them almost as big as I want really, although I've never tried to see how large they can become. However, the bigger they are, the faster they drain me. Think of my abilities as being a power source, once the power is gone, it takes a while for them to recharge. The pulses are easier to manage as they don't drain me as quickly. And yes, I can pretty much do them anytime, unless I'm too drained or my hands are restrained."

"That's really quite remarkable," commented Elizabeth, "I've never heard of anything like it."

"Would you be willing to let me do a few tests? See how strong they are, what they can do?" Rodney looked at her with an almost beseeching look on his face.

"What Dr McKay is trying to say, is that we would very much like to learn as much as possible if you would be willing to work with us?" Elizabeth asked, ever the diplomat.

Cassie nodded, "Very well, but I may not wish to do everything. My telepathy is not something I enjoy and avoid whenever possible."

"Understood. I'll let Dr McKay work out the finer details with you. In the meantime, you are welcome to stay here with us. Atlantis has much to offer, and perhaps you may even have information about other worlds or even the Wraith that may be beneficial to us as well, " said Elizabeth.

She stood up from the table and said, "That will be all for now. Colonel Sheppard and his team will show you around. I look forward to working with you." With a smile at Cassie and a nod to John, she turned and left the room.

There was a brief moment of silence in the wake of her departure before John spoke up, "Well, this should be interesting."

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Please read and review everyone! Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

Over the next couple of days, Cassie found herself in a whirlwind of activity. She went from breakfast with the team first thing in the morning, to testing with Rodney until midday, followed by lunch with Teyla. Her afternoons were spent with Elizabeth and John discussing the different planets she had spent time on, her run ins with the Wraith, as well as stories of her travels.

It wasn't until after dinner that Cassie finally found herself blessedly alone for a while. She had started to explore Atlantis at night, wandering along the endless outdoor walkways and paths that snaked around the city. Her favourite spot that she had found so far though, was a small alcove high up on one of the towers that opened out to a breathtaking view of the city. At night, with all the lights glowing, Atlantis reminded her of the stars.

Cassie had been on Atlantis for almost a week and had started to really get to know John and his team, as well as Elizabeth. She liked them all, despite Rodney's ego, Elizabeth's constant questioning and Ronon's silence. They behaved like a family, looking out for each other, arguing with each other, training with each other, and just generally spending time together. It was something that she wasn't used to, and made her feelings of being an outsider even more acute.

It was after yet another long day of testing and questions that Cassie found herself alone up in her alcove at the top of the tower. She was sitting quietly on the floor against the wall, looking out across the city, when she heard footsteps. She turned her head to see Ronon step through the archway on her right. He looked down at her.

"Hey," was all he said.

"Hey."

"Mind if I join you?" He motioned to the empty space on the floor next to her.

"Sure," she replied, turning her head to look back out over the city once more.

They sat in silence for a while, neither of them moving. A soft breeze blew across them and picked up the wisps of blonde hair that framed Cassie's face. Ronon looked at her out of the corner of his eye, and took the time to really study her in detail for the first time.

She was slightly taller than Teyla, her head reaching the top of his shoulders, and had long blonde hair, although he had never seen it out as she always had it back in a loose braid or plait. Her features were delicate, full lips, high cheek bones and straight nose. However it was her eyes that he liked the most, they were the deepest blue he had ever seen, and although he liked the colour of them very much, it was how clearly he could read the thoughts and emotions reflected in them that drew him to her. He had read in one of John's books somewhere that the eyes were the windows into a person's soul. He wasn't entirely sure he'd believed or even understood the expression until he had met her.

Finally he broke the silence, "Long day today?"

She nodded without looking at him, "You could say that."

"Wanna talk about it?"

Cassie hesitated, she didn't really know what to say. How could she tell him that despite how welcoming everyone had been towards her, and how enthusiastic Elizabeth and Rodney seemed to be to have her there, and the friendship she had built with Teyla, she still felt like a caged animal? That she wanted to be off-world helping people? That she wanted to be out there fighting the Wraith?

"It's just not how I thought it was going to be," she replied instead.

"And how's that?" Ronon looked over at her.

"I thought I'd be doing what I was doing before, only with a team instead of alone. Instead I'm spending hours and hours in Rodney's lab putting up shields while he shoots at them, or in Elizabeth's office talking. I feel like I'm not helping anyone. I want to be out there, fighting, not trying to keep up with Rodney-speak or describing the terrain of some random planet to John." Cassie took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

A corner of Ronon's mouth tilted up at the mention of 'Rodney-speak', he knew exactly what she meant. More often than not he felt the urge to stun Rodney when he started prattling on and on about something sciency that he had no hope of understanding. He preferred to shoot things than to study them. Cassie not withstanding of course.

"They'll finish soon. Well, maybe not McKay, but Sheppard will. We're going out on a mission in 2 days, I'll talk to Sheppard and see if you can come with us," Ronon said.

Cassie looked over at him, "Thanks, I really need to get out of here for a bit."

"I know how you feel, I was the same when I first got here."

They fell back into a comfortable silence for a short while before Ronon finally pulled his legs up underneath him and stood up. He leant down and held out a hand to Cassie, "I have an idea."

She looked at him questioningly for a moment, before slowly reaching up to put her hand in his and allowing herself to be pulled to her feet. "So what's this idea?"

Ronon looked at her with a glint in his eye, "Can you fight?"

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Five minutes later, Cassie found herself standing in the middle of a large gym. Various weapons were located around the walls, a pile of mats lay stacked against one end, and there was a long bench at the other.

Ronon picked up two bantos sticks and handed them to Cassie. She gave him a doubtful look but took one in each hand and stepped back. Ronon picked up two more and turned to face her.

"You have your own powers to defend yourself with, I know, but it doesn't hurt to know how to fight as well," said Ronon. "We'll start with the basics."

For the next hour and a half, Ronon took Cassie through her first ever self-defence lesson. She was wary in the beginning, not used to allowing someone to get so close to her, but Ronon's focussed and direct approach calmed her nerves, helping her concentrate.

Ronon had noticed immediately that Cassie was not comfortable being touched or having her personal space invaded, so he had taken to correcting her stances and movements from a distance. She proved to be a willing student though, listening and following instructions carefully. She worked hard and by the end of the lesson had a solid understanding of the basics.

Ronon finally called a halt to the lesson. "That'll do for tonight. You should get some sleep."

Cassie nodded and handed her sticks back to him. "Thanks for tonight. You're right, I think doing some exercise has helped. You'll still talk to John about me coming on the next mission?"

"Yeah, I'll ask him tomorrow."

"Thanks Ronon." Cassie hesitated for a moment, caught between wanting to take her tired body back to her room for a shower and some much needed sleep, and some strange sensation of wanting to stay right where she was. There. With him.

Cassie realized that Ronon was watching her intently and she immediately shook herself out of it. "I'll see you tomorrow then. Night."

Without even waiting for a reply she quickly turned on her heel and headed out the door.

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Once Cassie had gotten back to her room she had stripped off her sweaty clothes and jumped straight into the shower. She had stood under the spray of the scalding hot water, hands braced against the wall in front of her, head down, watching the water wash over her feet. She didn't know how long she stood there, but finally she turned off the water and reached out to grab one of the clean towels hanging next to the shower.

After changing into a pair of short black shorts and a black tank top, Cassie sat on the end of her bed, slowly combing out her wet hair and staring blankly at the wall. She had so many thoughts running through her head that she couldn't seem to catch hold of one long enough to really comprehend it. Her emotions were the same, all over the place. She needed to get her thoughts and emotions organized somehow, get them organized so that she could work out exactly what they meant. She stopped brushing mid-stroke and put the comb down on the bed beside her and got up.

Cassie walked over to the desk and opened the top drawer on the right. Inside there was a small book, bound in soft brown leather with a picture pressed into the front of the Stargate. She pulled out a pen and walked over to the seat that ran below and along the length of the window that looked out over Atlantis. She sat down on one end and piled up some of the cushions behind her before settling the book on her lap and uncapping the pen.

Steadily, Cassie began to write down everything that was swirling around inside her. With each stroke of the pen, she became more and more engrossed in her own little world. She had never kept a journal before, but she soon began to understand why so many people did. It was like talking to an old friend, someone who had known you your whole life. She could say anything she wanted, no matter how personal or intimate, and she wouldn't be judged. It was her chance to say anything and everything that she couldn't or wouldn't say out loud. She wrote of her past, her people, her travels, her adventures. She wrote of saving the team, and being brought to Atlantis.

And she wrote of the people she had met, with one standing out more than any of the others...


	4. Chapter 4

Two days later, Cassie found herself standing in the Gate Room, listening to Elizabeth give the final briefing with the rest of the team before heading out on her first mission. She was excited to finally be included on an assignment, but more than that, she was exhilarated by the chance to finally go off-world and start helping people again.

"So just to recap, this is a simple recon mission. Go, find out what you can about the planet and local people, see if there is anything useful that we can gain from them, or if there is anything we can offer. And please, try **not** to start yet another war ok? We need as many allies as we can get at the moment and we're running short of friends!" Elizabeth looked directly at Sheppard and Ronon as she said this. Sheppard replied with an innocent 'who me?' look before turning and heading for the gate.

The rest of the team fell in behind, following his lead and stepping through the rippling surface of the Stargate.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

The world looked very similar to the one Cassie had met John and the others on, lush forest all around with the gate located in the middle of a clearing.

"Alright everyone, keep your eyes open, we don't know exactly what we might find out here. McKay, you get a reading yet to tell us which way the village is?" Sheppard turned to Rodney who was busy looking at a small device in his palm.

Rodney looked up distractedly, "Hmmm? Oh right! Yes, this way." He turned and bustled off into the trees without so much as a glance over his shoulder to see if the rest of them were following.

Cassie shook her head with a smile and caught Teyla's eye, "He never ceases to amaze me. I don't think I've ever met someone so capable of completely tuning out an entire group of people!"

Teyla laughed, "Yes, he is certainly unique."

Cassie snorted in response and muttered something under her breath. Teyla couldn't be certain, but she thought she heard the words 'nutter' and 'looney' in there somewhere. With a smile she continued on after Rodney.

They reached the village after a short half hour walk, and were greeted by a number of townspeople. An aging man wearing a leather apron stepped forward. "Good day to you. I am Marlin, one of the village elders. What brings you to Ethor?"

Sheppard spoke up, "My name's Lt. Col. John Sheppard, my team and I are travellers. We were hoping we might talk to you about the possibility of setting up trade between our people."

Marlin broke into a smile, "Of course! We always welcome new opportunities to trade. Please, follow me."

They followed Marlin into a nearby building which turned out to be the local tavern. The people were friendly and the food was tasty. Rodney immediately started piling food onto his plate.

Sheppard spoke with Marlin for a short while, learning that they were simple farming people, not very technologically advanced, but who grew an abundance of fresh food which they were willing to trade for medical help.

Marlin offered to take them on a short tour of the village and everyone stood up to follow him back outside, Ronon snagging Rodney by the back of his collar and lifting him bodily off his seat and out the door mid-mouthful. Rodney coughed and spluttered with indignation at being manhandled by the resident caveman. Cassie found it hysterically funny, and Teyla apologised to the village elder for their behavior while trying not to smile as well.

As they were walking through the village, Marlin pointing out various people and buildings, Cassie was shocked to hear someone shout her name. They all stopped mid-stride and turned back to look at her.

"Cassie! Cassie, by the Ancients is that you?" A young woman came running up the group, her skirts in her hands to avoid tripping on them.

"Liliana?" Cassie couldn't believe her eyes. This couldn't be her, all of the Molokai people had been killed during the Wraith attack. She was certain of it.

"It **is** you! I thought you were dead! I thought I was the only one left," Liliana babbled as she threw her arms around Cassie's neck. Cassie was too shocked to do much more than stand there in stunned silence.

Liliana pulled back to look at her, "Cassie, you remember me don't you? It's me, Liliana."

Finally Cassie snapped out of it, "But, I thought you were dead too, how did you escape? There was no-one left when I got back to the village, everything was destroyed."

"I was in the mountains, I'd gone up there to pick some more of that red flower that the Healer used in her remedies, remember? It took days and days to get up there because it grew so far away and was so hard to find. By the time I got back there was nothing left, no people, no village, not even any burnt ruins. I tried to find someone, anyone, but there was no-one left. Finally I dialed the Traveller's Ring. I passed through a couple of planets before finally coming across this one. It reminded me of home, and the people were so kind, they took me in. I've been here ever since," Liliana finished.

Cassie could scarcely believe what she was hearing. "I need to sit down," she murmured, swaying on her feet.

A strong arm wrapped around her waist and Ronon helped her over to the bench. She sank down onto it, dropping her head and closing her eyes. Liliana came over and sat next to her, taking hold of one of Cassie's hands in both of her own. "I'm so glad to see you," she whispered.

Cassie lifted her head and looked into Liliana's tear filled eyes. "So am I," she whispered back.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Cassie and Liliana spent the next hour talking and catching up in the tavern while the rest of the team continued their tour and trade talks. John had already told her to take all the time she needed.

"So you work with these people now? You travel with them to all the different worlds?" Liliana was enthralled as she listened to Cassie explain about her own time since the Wraith attack.

"Pretty much," Cassie replied. "This is my first mission with them, but so far it's going pretty well!"

Liliana grinned in response, before the smile fell away and a sombre look crossed her features, "What will you do now?"

"I'm not leaving you again, we're all that's left, we have to stick together. What would you want to do? I can come and live here with you?" Cassie had no intention of separating from Liliana, not now that she had just found her again. However she did feel a small stone settle in her stomach at the thought of never traveling again, not continuing to help in the fight against the Wraith. She still had a score to settle, a big one.

"What about if I came with you? Could I live where you live?" Liliana looked at her hopefully.

"I, I don't know, I'd have to ask John, and their leader, Elizabeth. She's a kind woman though, she took me in, I don't see why she wouldn't do the same for you."

The team returned from their tour and sat down with the girls at the table. Cassie explained to John what she and Liliana had discussed about Liliana coming to live with them. John agreed that they would need Elizabeth's permission; he couldn't bring home a stray for the second time without getting approval first. He moved off to radio Atlantis in private.

In the meantime, Cassie took the opportunity to introduce Liliana to the rest of the team. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Liliana, she and I have been friends since we were children. She worked with our village Healer as an apprentice. Lili, this is Teyla Emmagan, Dr. Rodney McKay, and Ronon Dex," she said as she indicated to each person in turn.

"It is very nice to meet you Liliana," said Teyla with a smile. Rodney gave a small wave and Ronon nodded.

Sheppard came back at that moment, "Elizabeth said it's fine, we can head back when we're ready. Liliana, do you have anything that you want to bring with you?"

She hesitated for a moment, "I don't really have much, but I do have a small wood carving that I have from home that I'd like to bring with me. It's in my room."

Cassie spoke up quickly, "I'll go with you to get it."

"No, no, that's fine. I'll be just a few minutes. There're a couple of people I want to say goodbye to as well. I'll meet you back here ok?" Liliana jumped up and rushed out the front door of the tavern, her skirts once again clasped in her hands.

Cassie and the rest of the group gathered their things and moved outside to wait for her. Sheppard stepped forward to speak to Marlin, "Thank you for everything today. I'll make sure that someone is out here in the next day or two to work out the trade details and begin giving the medical help to your people."

Marlin nodded, "Thank you. We do not often receive such welcome visitors."

It was as they were talking that a low humming could be heard somewhere in the distance. In the next instant there was a scream from the far end of the village. More shouts and screams followed, people were running down the street and explosions were sending burning rubble and dirt blasting into the air.

"Wraith! Wraith!" The second the word was heard by those standing close by, panic immediately gripped the town. Chaos followed, people (were) running every which way, and in the distance the white haired Wraith could be seen coming down the road, blasting houses and setting everything alight.

"Everyone take cover!" Sheppard immediately took command, the team drawing their weapons and taking up covered positions along the dirt road, firing on the Wraith as they got close enough.

Cassie dropped down behind a low wall out the front of one of the houses. She peered over the top and saw a young boy standing in the middle of the street crying, people screaming and running past, too panicked to even notice him.

"CASSIE!" Ronon roared her name as he saw her duck out from behind the wall and sprint towards the boy. He tried to cover her as best he could, but the Wraith had seen her. A blast was sent directly towards her just as she reached the boy, and she threw her hands up in front of her, a wall of rippling energy flaring up, absorbing the shot. She dropped her hands, grabbed the boy and sprinted off to the side to safety.

Ronon was furious with her, but he didn't have time to berate her. He took down two more Wraith as they came around the side of the house just in front of him.

A woman came running up to Cassie screaming and crying, she snatched the boy out of her arms and dashed into the nearest home, slamming the door behind them.

"Darts!" Sheppard yelled. The white beams of light could be seen scanning across the ground, zapping people up in its oncoming path. Sheppard, Ronon, Teyla and Rodney were all returning fire, taking down as many Wraith as they could, but it was the Darts that were doing the real damage.

Suddenly Cassie saw Liliana come running out from between two houses, straight into the path of the oncoming Wraith. "LILI! WATCH OUT!" She shouted her warning too late.

Cassie watched in horror as Lili stopped and turned, the Wraith raising his weapon. She saw the blast of energy surge out and impact with Lili's chest sending her crashing into the wall behind her, saw her land with a sickening crack as her head hit the wall and then crumple to the ground. She watched it all as if it were in slow motion; however it all happened in the blink of an eye before she could even move.

She leapt up from her position behind a pile of wooden boxes to go to Lili, but she was tackled to the ground before she got even one stride across the street. She struggled furiously, screaming at whoever it was that was holding her down. "CASSIE STOP!" Ronon roared in her ear.

Ronon lay on top of her, his weight pinning her down, stopping from running blindly into the same danger that had just befallen Lili. The Darts whizzed over their heads, picking off the last few people running for safety, before scooping up their own soldiers and speeding away.

There was nothing but eerie silence in the moments following. The entire village seemed to be holding its breath.

Cassie's heart was pounding, the blood roaring in her ears, her breath heaving. Ronon slowly rolled off her and she immediately scrambled to her feet, tripping and stumbling over to Lili's side. She pulled Lili into her arms.

"Lili! Come on Lili wake up, **please** wake up!" She begged brokenly, tears streaming down her face. "Wake up!"

She gave her a shake, shouting, "Wake up damn it! I just got you back, I'm not going to lose you again! Wake up!"

She gave a broken sob, "Please wake up."

In the distance the sounds of other people crying for lost loved ones could be heard, but none sounded as gut wrenching as the begging coming from the young woman cradling her dead friend on the ground in the dirt.

Ronon, Rodney, Teyla and John all came to stand around her. They watched helplessly as Cassie rocked back and forth, holding Lili in her arms, crying, before she threw back her head and let out a scream from the very depths of her soul.


	5. Chapter 5

In the days following Lili's death, Cassie felt as though she was walking around in a fog. Life seemed to be going on around her as though nothing had happened, but she felt different, forever changed. The team wanted to help her, but there was nothing they could really do except offer her support and a shoulder to cry on. However, Cassie had not cried another tear since that day.

Her one form of solace came from physical labour, and sparring with Ronon soon filled up as much of her time as he could spare to work with her. Cassie threw herself into the training, finding the concentration needed in her lessons the best way to escape her recent heartache.

Ronon understood the need to focus on something else. It appeared that Cassie had put the events of what happened on that world away in box and shut the lid on tight, refusing to allow herself to think about it anymore. It may not have been the most productive way to deal, but he wasn't going to judge her on it. To be honest he pretty much dealt with things the same way.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Late one afternoon, Cassie found herself lying flat on her back staring up at the ceiling for about the tenth time since the sparring session had started. She let out a growl and smacked her palms against the mats in frustration. Ronon appeared in her line of vision above her with a smirk ok his face and waved a bantos stick at her. "You weren't moving your feet again," he chided.

Cassie rolled to her side and heaved herself up off the ground. Her muscles were screaming from the bruising session and her body was covered with sweat, but she took comfort in knowing that Ronon looked like he was tiring a bit as well, his breaths coming faster than normal and a light sheen of sweat covering his face.

"I think you might've had enough for today, you're so tired you're starting to make easy mistakes like that," said Ronon. "We'll start again tomorrow. You're improving really quickly though, you should be proud of that."

Cassie nodded, "Yeah thanks. It helps that you're willing to spend so much time training me. I appreciate it."

Ronon nodded as he turned to put the bantos sticks away and grab a towel from the bench. Cassie walked over to the water bottle that she had filled up before the session had started and took a long pull. Ronon had made sure to explain to her the necessity of keeping herself hydrated with all the training they were doing. She had to agree though, she was improving quickly. She was pretty certain that she could now defend herself well enough in most situations that she was likely to encounter on off-world missions, or at the very least she wouldn't be a liability.

Cassie had another reason for wanting to train so hard, apart from keeping her mind occupied, she wanted to get back out in the field with the rest of the team. The moment they had arrived back from the planet after the Wraith attack, Cassie had been suspended from all off-world missions. She needed time to grieve, according to Elizabeth. But Cassie was done grieving for her people, now she wanted to fight back, and so she had convinced Ronon to step up their training in order to prove to Elizabeth and everyone else that she was ready to get back on the job.

"Ronon, I was wondering whether you'd mind talking to John for me?" Ronon paused and looked up at her. "I want to get back into the field. It's been 3 weeks since everything happened and I'm starting to go crazy being stuck here all the time. I said my goodbyes, I've been training hard and I'm ready."

Ronon studied her for a moment. He thought about what he would be doing in her place, and he had to admit that there wasn't a lot that he would do different. Train, get back out there, kill more Wraith. Exactly what she wanted to do.

Finally he nodded, "I'll talk to Sheppard when I see him at dinner tonight. No promises though."

Cassie gave him a grateful look before reaching out a closed fist towards him. It had become a ritual between them, at the end of each sparring session they would touch fists. Cassie wasn't entirely sure what it meant, but she had done it instinctively when saying goodbye to him one night and he hadn't hesitated in responding the same way. And so it continued each and every time they ended a sparring session, she would hold out a closed fist to him, and he would gently knock his against it.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Two days later Cassie was sitting in the mess hall finishing up her dinner when Sheppard came and sat down opposite her. She looked up and met his gaze.

He didn't waste any time getting to the heart of the matter, "So, Ronon came to talk to me. He says that you're ready to get back out in the field. That what you want?"

Cassie nodded immediately, "Absolutely."

Sheppard looked at her for a moment, staring straight into her eyes, and Cassie didn't flinch. "Alright, you can head out with us tomorrow. We've got a delivery mission, easy day, no problems expected. We'll take it from there, got it?" Cassie nodded once again.

Sheppard gave her a warning look, "This is by no means an end to the matter though. You'll have to prove that you're fit to be back out there. The first sign of stress or an inability to follow orders and you'll be grounded again in a heartbeat. Clear?"

"Got it," Cassie replied with hesitating.

Sheppard gave her another long look, "Well alright then. Meet in the Gate Room at 0900 hours tomorrow." With that he got up and left the mess hall.

Cassie was elated, she was finally going to be getting back out on the hunt. She stood up from the table, dumped her tray on the way past, and headed out to find Ronon.

She found him coming out of his quarters, fresh from a shower. "Hey, I was looking for you," she said.

"What's up?"

"I wanted to thank you for talking to John. He just came to see me and told me that I've been cleared to rejoin the team, I'm coming with you on the mission tomorrow," she said with a small smile.

"Good to hear," Ronon rumbled. He gave her a long look.

"I know what it's like to lose everything. When it happened to me the only thing I wanted to do was get back out there and start doing some damage. It's not a bad thing to want revenge, just be careful that you don't let it consume you."

"I won't."

Ronon nodded and Cassie turned to leave, "Ok well I guess I'll see you tomorrow. And thanks again."

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

At 0850 hours the next morning, Sheppard and the team were standing in the Gate Room, making final preparations and waiting for Cassie to join them. Elizabeth was talking quietly to Sheppard off to one side, Teyla and Ronon were checking their weapons, and Rodney was complaining to anyone who would listen that he was certain he had a brain tumor because the hearing in his left ear felt 'funny'.

Elizabeth and Sheppard walked back over to the rest of the team, and Elizabeth cleared her throat, effectively silencing Rodney. "Alright everyone, let's try and keep today nice and simple. No fighting, no killing, no drama. Just a simple delivery mission, get in get out. And keep an eye on Cassie." Everyone nodded.

Elizabeth looked around, "Speaking of which, anyone know where she is?"

At that moment Cassie was putting the finishing touches to her new appearance. She had spoken to a couple of the Athosian women that Teyla had introduced her to, asking if they would help her to create an outfit that would be more suitable for her off-world missions.

Each piece of clothing was fashioned from the softest leather she had ever felt. The pants fit her like a second skin, with pockets on both sides and a low waist. The top half was a set of two pieces, the first was a sort of bra with straps that reached around behind her and crossed over at the very top of her back, leaving everything else bare. The second was a fitted type of vest in the same shade of leather as the pants, soft and supple. It laced up the front tightly, stretching and fitting around her form. On the inside of the vest, the women had sewn in hard and thin sheets of a bone-like material to act as a form of armour against injury from a weapon. It wouldn't withstand a lot of force, but it did offer another layer of protection.

On her feet she wore thick soled leather boots which reached almost to her knees and laced up the front. In the top of each boot she had a blade concealed on the inside in little holders that the women had also sewn in. She wore gauntlets on her forearms, lengths of leather wrapped around and laced up with another layer of the bone sewn into the section that ran down the length of the tops of her forearms. Finally, she wore a thin rope of leather around her head across her forehead, and was secured at the back and covered by her hair that was tied up.

The new look matched her new goal, and her new frame of mind.

Cassie's entrance into the Gate Room had everyone stopping and looking at her as she walked in. Her stride was long and confident, a sort of contained energy emanating from her, crackling just below the surface. Her back was ramrod straight and her head was held high, eyes forward and fixed directly on the team ahead of her, not looking back at those staring as she passed.

Despite everything that she had been through in the past, Cassie had always maintained a certain amount of hope, some thread to hang on to that she wasn't the only one left. Now, that thread was gone, and so was her past. She was looking forward, she wasn't just surviving anymore, she wasn't just helping people while biding her time, waiting to find that one person she knew was still alive. The young woman that survived the desecration of her planet, the loss of her people, and the years on her own since, was gone.

In her place, was a warrior.


End file.
